Battle of Wills
by Hello-again931
Summary: Lizzy is forced to marry William Collins, but loves Will Darcy. Darcy loves her back, but Caroline Bingley and her affections are standing in his way. My first fanfic. Please R&R.
1. Bad News

Elizabeth walked down for breakfast in an unusual good mood. Today was her twentieth birthday, and the first day of her new job at the local restaurant. Her two annoying sisters and mother would be gone until lunch, ensuring a morning of quiet with her bookish sister Mary, her eldest sister Jane, and her father, who, extraordinarily, had the day off. The weather was beautiful and warm, despite being the 1st of November, and not a cloud was in the sky. This was possibly the happiest day of her life.  
She walked onto the kitchen's linoleum and sat at the table, joining Mary, reading a textbook.

"Morning," she greeted her absent-mindedly, still reading the book.

"Hello," Elizabeth said back, pouring herself a cup of orange juice. "Grade 12 chemistry?" she asked, reading the front of her book. "You're only in grade 11."

"Yes, but I want to get ahead," explained Mary.

"You should stick to your own grade, or you won't have any fun in high school. You'll just study all the time."

"I don't want to have fun!" Mary exclaimed. "I want to pass!"

"You will, if you spend as much time on grade 12 textbooks as 11." Elizabeth's eyes sparkled and she smiled, something she did only when she was about to win an argument.

"I guess you're right," said a defeated Mary. She set the book and a sipped her juice. The eldest (and prettiest) sister Jane walked in and joined them, sitting on one of the many mismatched wooden chairs.

"Morning, you two," greeted Jane, bright eyed and bushy tailed. "Isn't it a beautiful day?" Jane was one of the few morning Bennets.

"Hi," Elizabeth replied, now thoroughly awake. "Is dad up yet?"

"Yeah, he's just getting up. He told me he was making pancakes."

"Oh, good," said Mary, rubbing her stomach. "It's been a long time since dad made his famous pancakes."  
As promised, Mr. Bennet came downstairs and took over the kitchen, making blueberry pancakes and sausages, a favorite of the Bennet girls. They each ate two helpings.

"Thanks, dad, that was great."

"No problem."

Elizabeth, who just finished, eyed Jane's plate.

"How can you eat that stuff?"

Jane, assuming her sister was referring to her vegetarian sausage, retorted, "It's better than eating poor, defenseless animals!"

"But doesn't it taste bad?"

"What tastes bad is knowing that what you're eating had a life," snapped Jane. Meat was one of the only things that made kind, sweet tempered, Jane angry.

"So it does taste bad?"

Jane sighed. "Yes, it does, but it's better than hurting animals."

"Okay, then." Elizabeth wrinkled her nose at the tofu-grain thing, and then picked up a sausage with her fork.

"It's really not that bad, Janie."

Jane shrugged and brought her plate to the sink. "How about, I think what I want to think, and you do the same?"

"Okay."

"The taste grows on you, anyway."

Mary volunteered to do the dishes, while the others showered and got dressed. Elizabeth was the first in the bathroom – it was definitely going to be a good day.

Throughout the morning, however, Mr. Bennet did not seem to be well. He was quiet during breakfast, and was unresponsive for Elizabeth's piece she had mastered on the piano. He even had no complaints after reading the sports section of the newspaper, which normally gave him something to prattle on about. Elizabeth was worried, but had no time to ask him about it. She was late on her first day of work on the morning shift.

Elizabeth got home from the restaurant earlier than expected. Her first day seemed to go well, though she dropped a couple dirty plates on the way to the sink. The diner wasn't busy so, Ms. Nowles, the owner, let her go early.

Her arrival, half an hour earlier than expected, startled Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, who were arguing in hushed voices in the living room. She also surprised Lydia and Kitty, who were fiercely fighting over the keyhole to the door.

"What are you doing?" asked Elizabeth, dropping her bag on the wooded floor with a loud thump.

"Shh!" Kitty shushed, while Lydia whispered, "Be quiet, Lizzy!"

Elizabeth sighed. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Trying to hear what they're talking about. We think it's you."

"What?" Lizzy started to put her ear to the door, when Mrs. Bennet came out. Lydia and Kitty pretended to be tying their shoes, while Elizabeth crossed her arms and leant on the door frame, looking forward innocently.

"Oh, mom!" she exclaimed, as though she just noticed her. "How are you? And dad! Nice to see you!"

Mr. Bennet looked at his youngest daughters and sighed. He turned to Lizzy. "We need to talk."

Mrs. Bennet shooed Lydia and Kitty, and joined them in the living room.

"What's going on? Am I in trouble? I did not mean to break that window last week. That wasn't even my baseball." Lizzy laughed nervously. "Darn kids and their games…"

"What?" asked Mr. Bennet, giving her a look. "No, you're not in trouble. We just have to tell you something."  
For a few moments, Mr. Bennet looked like he struggled for words, his mouth opened, then closed. He looked at his wife hopelessly.

"Lizzy –" She swallowed. "You're engaged to be married."

This was going to be a bad day.


	2. Dream

Lizzy stared, completely bewildered by the seriousness of her parents faces. "What?"

"You're going to be married," Mrs. Bennet said slowly, as though explained algebra to a five-year-old. She seemed relieved to discuss this, unlike her father, who was determined to avoid Lizzy perplexed stare.

"What are you talking about? No one's proposed to me." Lizzy hoped for an explanation from her father. His voice was calm and soothing; she needed it right now.

Her mother spoke. "It's called an arranged marriage. " She still spoke in the insulting tone.

"I know what an arranged marriage is, mom," Elizabeth said with a sigh. "Why, and when, and _what_?

"You remember my friend, Sylvia, right? When you were born, we arranged that you will marry her son. Though at first it was going to be Jane, but we didn't want too much of an age difference, two years apart seemed too much. Don't you think so?"

Elizabeth ignored the question. "But I haven't met her son, have I? Who is he?"

"His name's William Collins," Mr. Bennet said, speaking out. "He lives in London with his father."

"He is very rich, too," cried Mrs. Bennet. "He'll be able to take care of you, and buy you nice things." She sighed happily. "You'll love him."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but Mr. Bennet cut her off, knowing what she would ask. "You will meet him next weekend, that's two days of getting acquainted with him. Then the wedding will be next year, exactly."

"We've planned it out perfectly, Sylvie and me," said Mrs. Bennet proudly. "Well, I had to work out the minor details of the wedding, since her death. Anyway, we've got it all planned, you just have to show up and say 'I do'. Would you like to see the invitations? We sent them out when you were born, but I think we should send them again, just in case. Don't you think so?"

"I don't," Elizabeth said simply.

"Oh, you probably just have early cold feet. You'll love him, he is such a lovely, smart, gentleman. You'll want to marry him anyway. You can think of this arranged marriage as planned fate, or something clever like that."

Lizzy was about to protest, but her mother held her lips between her fingers. "I know you're worried. 'What if he doesn't love me back? What if he thinks I'm ugly?' He will love you darling, and you're... very nice. Don't worry your ugl – I mean – nice, little head."

Mrs. Bennet escorted her across the house to her bedroom, vainly ensuring her Collins would love her. Elizabeth disregarded her chatter, knowing she was wrong. She wouldn't love him, if her mother did. He was probably stupid, ignorant, and never worked a day in his life, but fell into a pile of money. That was the kind of man her mother liked, though somehow she ended up with her father. She knew her parents never loved each other. They were high school sweethearts, fancying themselves in love and running away together. They both regretted it. Mrs. Bennet loathed her husband and his silly riddles, but was afraid to leave and be in the poorhouse. Mr. Bennet was ashamed of her wife's stupidity, but thought (with love) leaving his wife would break their daughters' hearts. Little did he know the five knew about their hatred of each other, and didn't mind divorce.

Lizzy, her mind on her parents crumbling marriage, was reminded of William Collins by her mother, still going on about his wealth. "He will take care of you, be sure of it. Oh, you're probably tired; it was been such a busy day! Go have a nap. I'll call you for dinner."

Elizabeth suddenly found herself in a church, dressed in a gauzy white dress, facing a man with no head. Out in the crowd, her mother was sobbing loudly, while her father was looking apologetic. To her left, a man (who, no doubt, was a priest), was droning the usual wedding speech.

"Elizabeth Bennet, do you take William Collins to be your husband?" the old man asked. Her mother stopped crying and stared.

"Well, Elizabeth, do you? Or do you want to be a burden to us, an extra mouth to feed?" She stood up and joined them on the platform. Suddenly, her father turned into her mother, repeated what the original mother had just said. As her father had, the priest turned into her mother and repeated.

"What? But, I don't understand –" began Elizabeth.

"Ha!" The three mothers laughed in triumph. "You said 'I do'! You said 'I do!" The headless man started to carry her down the aisle.

"No, I said 'I don't'!" she protested, struggling to get out of the headless man's arms. He was just too strong.

"Don't take it back, Elizabeth, and break your mother's heart," the three mothers whispered, peering down at her, for they had grown several feet. "Don't take it back, and break your mother's heart. Don't take it back, and break your mother's heart!" The words started to become faster, and the mother's spun over her, now floating in the air. Lizzy stared at them, horrified.

"Stop it! Stop it!" cried Elizabeth.

As sudden as the dream began, it ended, leaving Elizabeth scared and sweaty in her bed. Lizzy didn't have dreams, and this one scared her.

She went to the bathroom and flushed her face with cold water. It felt good. She closed her eyes and leant against the wall. Slowly, she slid down and fell on the floor. She sat there for a few minutes, thinking about the dream.

Finally listening to her stomach's grumbles, she exited the bathroom and down the stairs. Well, Lizzy, you're in quite the pickle, she thought.

_The ending is kinda bad, sorry about that. Don't worry, Darcy will be in the next chapter, I'm hoping. I'm still not really sure were this story is going…_


	3. Meeting

**A/N: **_I made Caroline much more unpleasant than she was in the book; because I thought it would make the other characters seem nicer. I was afraid I made Lizzy seem a bit to bloodthirsty in the first chapter about meat. ___

Lizzy was hoping the kitchen would be empty, but of course, no luck. It was a miracle to have a room to herself in a family of seven.

She went through the dining room, hoping the girls wouldn't notice her. Back against the wall, she moved forward tip-toeing.

"Lizzy, where've you been?" Lydia exclaimed, noticing her immediately. Her attempt was in vain; Lydia and Kitty had inherited the observant and nosy genes from their mother. Along with her looks; they both were tall and curvy, with chestnut hair and a tanned complexion. Lizzy would never admit it, but she was always slightly jealous their looks, though not their personalities. Again like their mother, they were vain and silly.

"Just in my room," replied Elizabeth, silently praising her father, who obviously stopped her mom from yelling the news from the rooftops.

"What did you and mom and dad talk about? It seemed pretty important," observed Kitty. Catherine always got to the point.

"They were just talking about – college. Nothing that concerns you."

Kitty wondered if that was meant to be an insult, but quickly overlooked looked it. She looked at her younger sister, waiting for her to speak.

"Two hot guys moved next door!" Lydia shrieked. Kitty squealed with her. This was big news for them, and Lizzy was surprised they waited this long to share it.

"Great, now you have two people to flirt with," said Lizzy dully. Lydia once stole her boyfriend, Lizzy still held a grudge.

"Yeah, I know!" Kitty cried, not sensing Lizzy's bored tone. "But, one of them is apparently taken, by the other one's sister. So now we only have Charlie, the other one."

"'_The other one'_?" repeated Lizzy. Usually one moderately cute guy was good enough for her sisters. When did they start being so picky?

"Well," Lydia explained, "Maria saw them today moving in all their furniture, and she said that Charles is hot, but Darcy is smokin'."

"A guy named Darcy?" Lizzy questioned.

"No. That's his last name, his first is William."

Elizabeth felt a faint ache in her chest. She was just forgetting William Collins, and his name's brought up! Weren't there any other names for boys?

"Anyway, Maria's already met them, and Charlie's sister Caroline is a real bi – bad person. We're going to go see them now, to see if she's lying. Coming?"

"I don't know." Elizabeth ache was still there. She rubbed her chest.

"C'mon, even Mary's coming!" Whatever Lizzy's answer was, they didn't hear it. Lydia grabbed her arm and yelled upstairs for the others. In seconds the five were ready and out the door.

The house next door, previously the Johnson house, was beautiful in contrast to the Bennets'. The gardens were well kept and weed-free, while the Bennets' were overgrown and brown. The Johnson siding was a sparkling white, the Bennet brick was covered in mud up to three feet. The Johnson house looked lovely and welcoming; the Bennet house looked like the setting for a horror movie.

Kitty knocked on the door with three sharp, anxious taps. A woman answered the door, much to Lydia and Catherine's disappointment.

She was stunning, with orange ringlets nearly to her elbows. Her skin was perfect, and looked like it was natural; though Lizzy had a feeling she spent hundreds on cosmetics. She was wearing a Chanel blue mini-dress with a designer handbag. Lizzy felt very plain next to her.

"Umm, yes?" she said rudely. She flipped one of her perfectly styled curls over her shoulder and glared at them with cold, grey eyes.

"Hi, we're the Bennets, we live next door." Lydia stood up straighter when she talked.

"Yes, and?" She looked ready to close the door.

"We came to welcome you into the neighborhood," replied Elizabeth coldly. No one talked to her sisters like that but her.

"Okay, well you did. Bye," she said quickly, grabbing the door handle.

"Caroline! Let them in!" a man's voice called behind her. She sighed and reluctantly opened the door wider. Lydia and Kitty grinned at each other eagerly.

The man who scolded Caroline was leaning against the stairs, arm-crossed but with a smile on his face. This was obviously Caroline's brother, Charles. He, like her, was extremely attractive, maybe even more so. Her hair color exactly matched his, though Charlie's was straight and had an un-styled look. He had the same nose and eyes as hers, but there was warmth to them. He, too, was wearing designer clothes. He wore a kind smile.

"Hey, I'm Charlie. Nice to meet you." He raised his hand in a wave.

The five girls introduced themselves, and he shook their hands. He held Jane's hand a bit longer than everyone else's. Lydia noticed, a mild resentment showed in her features.

"So," she began, "where did you move from?" She batted her eyelashes.

"London. Our father owns a company there. He bought us a house here, because our other sister lives close by. Caroline was missing her." Caroline looked disgruntled when he said this. Elizabeth assumed she didn't want them to be well acquainted with her.

"Isn't your friend staying here, too?" asked Elizabeth.

"Yes," Caroline answered, to the Bennets' surprise. "He's going to university in London, and rather than getting a house on his own. It's a two hour drive, but I would say it's worth it, staying with two people that are close to you." Caroline gave them a look that clearly stated: _he's my property_.

"He should be down in a minute," finished Charlie.

As though on cue, a tall man walked down the stairs, reading a book. He stopped on the last step and looked up. "I didn't know we had visitors," he acknowledged.

If Charlie was handsome, this man was breathtaking. His dark, wavy hair went nearly to his shoulders, looking as though he just woke up, but somewhat styled. His skinned was naturally tanned, from outside work, not sitting in a lawn chair waiting for rays. Lizzy could tell. His eyes were a deep brown, an intelligent deep brown. He wore simple clothes, faded jeans a T-shirt, which fully insinuated his muscles. Lizzy took a quick glance at the book, Shakespeare. Ahh.

"These are the Bennet sisters. Lydia, Kitty, Mary, Jane, and Elizabeth," introduced Charles. "They live next door."

"Hi, I'm William." Not unlike Caroline, he didn't really greet them. He stood there for a silent moment while the others chatted, and then moved to sit in the living room.

"Ah, great idea, Will!" exclaimed Charlie. "Where are my manners? Come, sit down."

The younger sisters sat on a leather couch, while Jane and Elizabeth occupied the matching chintz chairs. William sat in the loveseat, squished between a grinning Charles and a flirty Caroline. Shockingly, he ignored her flirts, looking longingly at his book.

The group talked for over an hour, comparing houses, parents, and their lives in general. Darcy remained silent throughout the conversation, though was sneaking quick glances at Lizzy, that did not go unnoticed by her nor Caroline.

**A/N: **_Please review, guys. Feel free to criticize, too, I want this story to be the best it can be. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Febreze

"Well, weren't they an _interesting_ bunch," Caroline sneered, seconds after Charles saw them to the door.

"I thought they were quite charming, especially Jane." Charles sighed contently and plopped on the couch.

"Charming compared to what? Pigs?" retorted Caroline, spraying _Febreze_ on the sofa and couch the Bennets were sitting on.

Charlie waited until she left the room to say anything. "Hey, Will, you quieter than usual. What do you have to say?"

"I don't know," Will stammered. "They were okay, I guess."

"Don't you think Jane is hot? I think I'll go over there later and ask her out."

"She's better than the other sisters, I suppose." Jane was by far the prettiest of the sisters, but Lizzy had something else. He would never admit it, but Elizabeth was different, in a good way.

"But not better than me, right William?" urged Caroline, coming back with an expensive mop. She wiped her forehead with a handkerchief with C.B embroidered on it in fancy letters. She grimaced when she saw it dirty. "Ugh, I'm sweating _and_ my make-up's coming off! We should hire a maid or something to do this work."

"Okay, Carol," Charlie sighed. "Whatever you say."

**A/N: **_This chapter is really short, so it probably means the next is going to be really long (my amazing logic.)_

_So click the button right there and tell me what you think. C'mon, it's right there…_


	5. Collins

**A/N: **_Hey fan(s)! Sorry about the wait, but it's been nearly impossible to get the computer this week. And when I did get on I had to do homework. Anyway, enjoy the pompous Collins!_

Days went by quickly, and the weekend was near, much to Lizzy's distress, because this meant she would soon meet her future husband, Mr. William Collins. Elizabeth had failed to tell her sisters about her arranged marriage, even Jane, who she shared many secrets with.

It was Friday night, and Mrs. Bennet was insane. She followed people around the house with vacuum, mumbled compliments to an invisible William Collins, and demanded absolute silence throughout the house, smiling creepily at each person in turn. Lydia, Kitty, and Mary were determined to discover the reason behind her strange behavior, knowing Lizzy and their father knew something they didn't. Jane, however, was more occupied with Charles Bingley.

"Oh, Lizzy," Jane cried early Saturday morning, minutes before Collins's arrival. "Don't you like Charlie? He's so handsome and sweet, not at all like the guys around here."

"Well," replied Elizabeth rather dully. "All the guys around here are stupid unsophisticated hicks." Lizzy's emotionless state was thought to be connected with Mrs. Bennet's odd conduct by the younger sisters. Lydia was watching her sister very closely.

"Actually, according to the _American Dictionary_ a hick is an unsophisticated, boorish, and provincial person. It's unnecessary to say unsophisticated with the term 'hick' because that is what it means," Mary said, poking her head through the door.

"Way to butt in the conversation, Mary," complained Lydia. "Why do you always have to bore us with that smart stuff you always say?"

"Lay off, Lydia," Elizabeth commanded. "It's not Mary's fault she's intelligent. But it doesn't help that she reads dictionaries," she added.

"Do you think Charles likes me? I think he does, but you can never be sure with guys," Jane asked from the corner.

Lizzy was about to say something, but was interrupted by her mother, who had burst in the room. "William – Collins – is – he – here," she panted.

"The guy you've been talking to?" asked Kitty.

"Yes."

"He's real?"

"Of course he's real! He's here visiting from London. I expect you all to be on your best behavior, especially you, Elizabeth." Lizzy looked at the ground.

"Why Lizzy?" Lydia asked.

"Never you mind. You five have three minutes to get out of your sweatpants and into a dress, or you are grounded. I expect the hair done, too. Three – two – one –"

Lydia and Kitty ran upstairs, while the others followed rather reluctantly. By the time they had reached their rooms, they had came out of theirs fully dressed and their hair partially curled. "Hurry, Kitty! Do you want to be grounded?" Lydia squealed, grabbing the curler out of her hands.

Lizzy sighed, going through the sad contents of her closet. Mostly button-up flannel shirts she stole from her dad. She did have one dress, however. A faded blue cotton dress her grandma gave her. It was simple and cute, but was still a dress. Elizabeth did not wear dresses.

With the dress on, she started on her hair. Unruly curls. She didn't even own a brush. After tossing it around and attempting to run her fingers through it, she gave up and walked downstairs.

Mr. Collins, in fact, was actually the exact opposite of what Mrs. Bennet was so assured of. He wasn't lovely or smart, though he was rich. He was pudgy and short, probably a good five inches smaller than Lizzy's five foot seven. His hair was cut horribly, like he put a bowl cut by a lopsided person on his head and shaved under it. He was rude and conceited; because as a child he had never been told off by his nannies and private tutors. He was exactly the man Lizzy wouldn't want to marry, and exactly the woman he wouldn't, too.

"Elizabeth," her mother said quietly, "this is William Collins, your future husband." Lizzy was lucky Kitty decided to yell at Lydia at the moment she had said 'husband'.

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Pleased to meet you, Elizabeth. I'm William."

"Hello." Elizabeth didn't know what the expression on his face meant, so she acted like it wasn't there.

Mrs. Bennet obviously expected more than this out of the two. Not-so-discreetly, she wrapped her arm around her daughter and pulled her closer to him. She took her arm away and walked across the room, studying the effect, of their proximity.

"Oh, you must be Will!" Jane exclaimed, coming down the stairs.

"It's William," he corrected stiffly, as through her mistake was an insult.

"Oh, I'm sorry," apologized Jane, just as the other three sisters came down. The looks on Kitty and Lydia's faces clearly showed they were dissatisfied with William's looks. Kitty's eyes didn't leave his hair.

"Hey," Lydia said. "I'm Lydia, this is Kitty, and this is Mary." She didn't even use her seductive tone she usually wore, or bat her eyelashes.

"Yes."

Jane raised her eyebrows, noticing the little space between Elizabeth and William. Lizzy felt her face redden.

"Well, Lizzy why don't you show William around town?" suggested Mrs. Bennet. "I'm sure he wants to get a good look around town. Don't you dear?" She was acting like she was his mother. No, mother-in-law, Lizzy reminded herself with a shudder.

"Yes, I would." Collins looked like he wanted the exact opposite.

"Well, I would mom, but –" Elizabeth racked her brains for a good excuse, "– but I have to get to work. I should go now, or I'll be late. Lydia could show him around, she'll be much better at it than I am." Lizzy hastily picked up her bag and turned to the door, but her mother stopped her.

"But Lizzy, it's Saturday! You don't work today."

"Oh, yeah!" Elizabeth said in fake surprise. "I forgot. I guess I can, then."

"Why is just Lizzy going? Shouldn't we all come?" Jane asked, noting the disgusted look on Elizabeth's face.

"No, because you four have to do chores." Mrs. Bennet clearly had the weekend planned out for Collins and Lizzy.

"Chores? What chores?" Kitty asked.

"Look around! This house is a mess!" Mrs. Bennet waved a hand at the pristine kitchen and newly vacuumed floors. Maybe it wasn't so planned out.

"Mom, it's _clean_," complained Lydia.

"Well, then you'll finish up quickly. Then, I want you four outside working in the garden. We are going to have to do some real work if we're going to keep up with the new neighbors." She turned to Lizzy. "What are you still doing here? Go show him around!"

***

The awkward silence was unbearable for Collins, who was used to some talking or noise in the city. The streets were commonly quiet in Meryton, but it made him uneasy, especially walking through them beside a girl he hardly knew. They kept at a safe distance, seeming like strangers going to the same place to a passer-by.

"How old are you?" blurted William, unable to take the silence any more.

"I'm twenty," replied Lizzy, slightly surprised. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one last July."

The awkward silence was there again.

"Umm, my mom says you live in London?" Lizzy said like it was a question.

"Yes, my father owns a law firm downtown, which I am to inherit. It seems like a big responsibility, I know, but I can handle it. You know, I am already working there. There was this case last year that I personally helped with, and without me, it would've went completely wrong. Of course, I don't have a law degree, but I have been looking around, and I think I know which school I'll go to, because my father frequently donates. You know –" William continued his talk through the village, and the walk back to the house.

Lizzy yawned.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must be boring you," William apologized.

"No, no," Lizzy said, yawning again. "It was very interesting, I'm just tired. It's been a long day."

"But it's only 11 o'clock," said Collins, his face falling.

Lizzy didn't know what to say, so said nothing until they reached the house. "Oh, I forgot! I have to go get something in my room."

Collins nodded and she went up the stairs, keeping her face blank until she reached her room. With the cry of a wounded dog, she ran to her bed and began to bawl.

_Yes, a bad end, but I really suck at endings. The next chapter will be here really soon, I hope, because I already know what's going to happen in it. Anyway, please review! _


	6. Closer

**A/N: **_Hey guys, sorry about the wait (again). I finished this chapter throughout the week, but I accidentally wrote it in first person, and was too busy to fix it. Remember to review. _

After being found – rather embarrassingly – puffy-eyed and red-faced in my room by Collins, Elizabeth resolved to save her tears and emotions for later, when she was completely alone with her sadness. William, worried, insisted on giving Lizzy allergy medication, thinking her sudden tears were due to pollen. She didn't bother to resist, then she'd have to explain why she was actually crying, and make matters worse for herself.

They had a late lunch of tuna sandwiches, Mrs. Bennet and the girls inside and Lizzy and Collins outside, firmly placed there by Mrs. Bennet. She hoped dearly that they were starting to like each other, but from the kitchen window it didn't seem to be going well. They sat as far away from each other as possible and rarely spoke. Her nerves were getting to her.

Lydia, a great deal cleverer than her sisters gave her credit for, began to clue in to Mrs. Bennet's odd behavior. She seemed intent on having William and Elizabeth together, close enough to be spied on, not enough to know they were watched. Lydia guessed that her mother was trying to set them up, and little did she know how good of a guess it was.

***

It was just past two, and Darcy, on the other side of the fence, began plotting some plants out on the porch. He enjoyed gardening; the feel of the soft soil between his fingers, the unique beauty of each flower and plant, the responsibility, knowing that he had a life in his hands. He also liked that Caroline hated it, and preferred to stay away from him until he got the dirt from under his finger nails.

Darcy was in the middle of pruning a particularly nasty flowered bush and was debating whether it was worth the trouble of saving. His hand slipped on the scissors he was using and he received a deep gash on his palm. He clutched his hand in pain, muttering curses. As he turned, he noticed a pair of worn sneakers dangling from the oak tree in the corner of the yard.

"Hello?" he asked, dropping his hand. A branch moved slightly. He went to investigate. "Oi, you in the tree!"

Will looked up from under the tree, and a face peeked out from the leaves. He knew that face well; he couldn't get that face out of his mind. And now that face was on his property.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing in my tree?"

"Keep your voice down!" hissed Lizzy.

He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Why are in my tree?"

"I'm hiding," she answered simply.

"From who?" He had an urge to climb up and join her, but resisted. Climbing trees were for children, not twenty-five year old men.

"William. He won't leave me alone. _Let's do this, let's do that. Oh, don't do that, don't do this! _Honestly, does he think he's my father?" she scoffed. "Can you help me down? One can only sit in a tree for so long."

Will expected her to hold out hand, but instead she jumped – right into his arms. His heart fluttered as he set her on the ground.

"Where is he now?"

"William? I don't know, he was with Charlotte when I snuck away." Lizzy noticed his puzzled look. "Charlotte Lucas is a friend from a couple blocks away."

Will rocked on his heels awkwardly; Lizzy seemed to be looking for a subject of small talk.

"You like gardening?"

"Yeah, it's…fun?" He said this like it was a question. Elizabeth smiled.

"I never liked gardening much. It's too much work for something as insignificant as a flower. Oops! I mean, if you like it, that's fine." She muttered something that Darcy couldn't hear.

"It's okay," Will said with a laugh. "Everyone has a different opinion."

They continued talking about gardening, then somehow began talking about themselves. Suddenly, Lizzy looked up, eyes wide. She pushed Darcy, with difficulty, to the ground.

"Hey! What're –" exclaimed Will, starting to get up.

"Stay down! Collins is coming over." She crawled over to a flower bed and hid behind a large hedge. "C'mon!"

Darcy followed her and they listened for Collins's voice coming from the house. They heard laughter.

"Okay, I'll get him," they heard Caroline say. The patio door opened, and Caroline scanned the yard.

"William must think you have something to do with my disappearance," whispered Elizabeth.

The door closed again, and they waited for William to leave. He didn't.

"What's he doing in there?" Will asked, after about ten minutes.

Elizabeth shrugged and said, "I don't know, but I really need to stretch my legs." She stood up and fell over, again in Darcy's arms.

"Oww," they said in unison. "My foot's asleep," Elizabeth added apologetically.

"Move it around, then."

Because of the awkwardness of the situation, or perhaps an unknown reason, the two began to laugh. At first it was a quiet, soft laughter, and then it became louder, then slightly hysterical. Will suddenly stopped and looked straight into Elizabeth's eyes, like the first day they met. Lizzy stopped. They both leaned closer, and Elizabeth's lips puckered. Her eyes widened as she thought, _We're going to kiss!_

"What're you doing?"

The two looked up, and Collins and Caroline were standing before them, arms crossed, livid. Collins glared and Darcy, while Caroline's poisonous looks were to Lizzy.

"Nothing," Elizabeth said quickly, standing up and brushing the dirt of her clothes. "Nothing at all."

"That's right," agreed Will, stepping out of the garden. Though he seemed confident, his posture was all wrong. He looked guilty. Lizzy guessed she did too.

"Was this where you were the whole time? With him?" interrogated Collins.

"Yes," Elizabeth said. "But it's not what it looks like. Will asked me to – help him with gardening. I couldn't say no, if it meant that his beloved plants would die. How could I live with that on my conscience?" She meant to be persuasive, and it seemed to work on Collins, whose look softened. Caroline, however, was not fooled.

"Then why didn't you ask me, Will, if this was so important to you?!" Caroline screeched.

"She was closer, and you don't like gardening," said Will simply. Caroline looked at William.

"We'd better go, Elizabeth," he said, taking her hand.

You could hear Caroline's voice from across town.

**A/N: **_Again, bad ending, but what could I do? So, there's a button right there, why don't you press it and tell me what you think?_


	7. Heart to Heart

**A/N: **_I've been sick since Monday, so I decided to use my time at home wisely writing another chapter. I'm missing the plowing match! _

_And a big thanks to _**Bonbonnett **_for giving me an idea._

The rest of the afternoon and evening went by slowly, because Lizzy spent most of it in the linen closet hiding from William. Charlotte, however, enjoyed his company, and helped Collins look for her friend. Even when she did find Elizabeth, she put a finger to her mouth to Lizzy, and yelled, "I can't find her, William! Maybe she went downtown to get an ice cream! Let's go!" At least someone fancied Collins.

Jane, doing laundry, found Lizzy sitting under the lower shelf of the linen closet with a flash light in one hand and a book in the other. Without a word, she put the newly washed towels on a shelf and walked out, firmly closing the door behind her.

When dinner was called, Lizzy decided not to go and spend another minute with Collins. Instead, she munched on some chocolate she'd stolen from Kitty's secret stash. Ten minutes later, Jane went and sat with her. She stole a candy and started chewing, swallowed and said, "Mom wants you downstairs."

Elizabeth laughed grimly. "Mom wants a lot of things that aren't going to happen."

"Like what?" Jane put down her chocolate and stared at Lizzy with those deep, blue eyes.

"Like nothing. I was kidding. Do you have to take everything so seriously?" said Lizzy harshly. The minute she said it, she regretted it. Jane didn't take insults very well.

Jane looked down. "That really hurt, Liz."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it, Janie." Jane smiled at the use of her nickname.

"I accept your apology. Now, tell me what you meant."

Elizabeth hesitated, silently debating if she should tell her sister the truth. "I don't really know how to start…"

"Why not at the beginning?" Jane said with a wry smile.

"Very clever. Well, you know on Monday, how after my shift at the restaurant, mom and dad wanted to see me?"

"Yeah, Lydia told me about it."

"She couldn't keep her mouth shut at gunpoint," muttered Lizzy, and Jane laughed. "So, back to the story, they told me that I was getting married."

Jane gasped. "Not to –"

"Collins," Lizzy finished grimly. "His mom was our mom's friend. She was going to die or something tragic, so they decided that we should get married."

"But that makes no sense," said Jane, shaking her head.

"Jane, it's mom we're talking about. Nothing she thinks makes sense. Anyway, I'm marrying Collins in a year and there's nothing I can do about it."

"We," Jane corrected.

"What?"

"We," repeated Jane. "You said 'there's nothing _I_ can do about it.' I'm saying 'we'. You didn't think I would just sit back and watch, did you?"

Elizabeth slowly grinned a grin. "Thanks, Janie."

As though trying to ruin a perfect moment, William opened the door. The bright light flooded into the closet, causing Lizzy to shut her eyes. _Does he have to interrupt every good moment?_ thought Elizabeth.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Having a heart to heart," Jane answered simply. "Don't just stand there like a dolt, help me up." Jane wasn't usually that rude, in fact, she was never rude. Maybe this was her way of telling Collins to, 'back off and don't marry my sister.'

He held his hand out and she took it gingerly. "Eww. I'm going to go wash my hand."

He looked at Lizzy for an explanation, but she was busy hiding her giggles. "Bye then, William."


	8. Author's Note

Hi, this is an author's note thingy, so sorry about the tease. I really appreciate all the reviews, favouritings, and alerts, but I think I'm going to take a short break from this story. Don't sweat it, it will only be like, a month tops.

Anyway, happy Halloween, and again, sorry about the tease.


	9. Diner

**A/N: **_In honor of my thirteenth birthday, here is the next chapter. _

_I forget if I did this last chapter, but I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed, alerted, and facopurited (Favourited. The way I unintentionally wrote it was amazingly cool, so I decided to keep it). Anyway, thanks a lot for a support. _

The next day, Lizzy awoke early and got ready to go to work. She worked the morning shift at the diner (the busiest time of day), but was seriously considering staying for the lunch and possibly dinner. William was getting more insufferable by the minute and the only thing keeping her from snapping was Jane's petty insults. They were quite funny.

The diner was packed when she got there, full of bachelor farming locals that have no one to cook for them. Lizzy quickly changed into her bubble gum uniform in the bathroom and got to work. Waitressing was easy, because all Elizabeth really had to do was refill the coffee cups and take the occasional order. The other waitress, Shirley, did the rest.

The diner was owner by a plump woman by the name of Angela Lucas, who was Lizzy's friend Charlotte's aunt. She had an assortment of tight, multicolored, animal print leggings that she wore with brightly colored low cut tops. Her hair was bleached and poofed up and applied a large amount of blue eye shadow with bright red lips. Behind her back, most people called her 'the lady from the 80s'.

"Hey, Eliza, refill Tom's coffee, will yeh?" Angela asked from the kitchen, flipping pancakes. Angela wasn't usually in the kitchen; she didn't want to get her hair unpoofed by the hairnet. Lizzy complied.

By eleven, the place was slowly emptying and Lizzy was worried Angela would tell her to go home, not wanting to pay her for doing nothing. The bell on the door jingled, and Elizabeth hoped it was a big group of people. Instead, it was Will Darcy.

Her cheeks flamed and she quickly turned around and hid under the counter.

"Hello?" he said, sitting on the stool. He looked around and found her hiding spot. "Can I get a coffee?"

"Yep," she said in a small voice. She stood up and began to make a pot. Back to him, she watched the coffee slowly drip down into the pot.

"Eliza! Don't just stand there, give 'im a menu!" Angela commanded from the griddle. Darcy's head shot up from the counter. She turned and gave him a little wave.

"Hi Will," she said awkwardly, hastily handing him a menu.

"Hi, Elizabeth. I didn't know you worked here," he said, smiling.

"I just started a week ago. I'm here for the morning, but I'm working until late to avoid William. I really hope he doesn't get a craving for pie and find me here."

"Sounds like me and Carol. She has a certain loathing of heavy breakfasts, so I'm here for a couple free hours."

"Well, why don't you just dump her," she stated simply. The coffee clicked, and she went to go get it.

"What?" he asked with a chuckle. "Me and Caroline? No way."

Elizabeth looked at him in surprise, pouring the coffee. She nearly dropped the pot. "But – it seems – well, you know…"

"Like were dating? No, she just really likes me. I can't understand why, I mean, I haven't led her on or anything like that. She's a little obsessive, but I don't plan on setting her straight."

"Why not?" she asked. A farmer hailed for another coffee from across the room. "Oh, I'm sorry, one sec." Will watched her as she filled the man's cup. "Go on," she said.

"To be frank, I like living in that big house of hers, and I'm not sure how she react if I told her that I can hardly stand the sight of her."

Lizzy smiled. "You think she'll kick you out?"

"Of course. That girl has a nasty temper, and she keeps grudges. If I told her, I wouldn't be allowed to be within a mile of her, or she'll go on a rampage. Really, I don't plan to get on her bad side."

"Okay," Lizzy said with a laugh. "So – what happened to your hand?"

Darcy's left hand was bandaged, with some strange yellow liquid oozing out of a hole in the bandage. Will quickly hid it.

"What happened?" she asked again.

"You remember when you were hiding in that tree? I cut my hand on a flower or something and didn't treat it. It's infected."

"Why didn't you treat it? It was a pretty deep cut."

"If you remember correctly, I had to go romping around with you in the dirt. Then Carol had to yell at me for a while, by the time she was done I completely forgot about it."

Lizzy blushed at the memory. That was the day she hid in a tree then practically cornered him into a flowerbed for a kiss. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that."

She stood there awkwardly for a moment, then Darcy checked his watch, wincing when he accidently touched his cut.

"It's late. I'd better go." Darcy got up, reached in his pocket, pulled out a wad of bills and threw them on the counter. "Thanks."

He left, leaving Lizzy with lingering embarrassment and a hearty tip.

**A/N: **_There you go, now just review…_


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